MultiMedia  Tools  

Lesson  Idea  Name:      Where  the  Red  Fern  Grows  Video    

Content  Area:    English  Language  Arts  
Grade  Level(s):      6th  Grade  
Content  Standard  Addressed:      ELAGSE6RI7:  Integrate  information  presented  in  different  media  or  formats  
(e.g.,  visually,  quantitatively)  as  well  as  in  words  to  develop  a  coherent  understanding  of  a  topic  or  issue.    
 
Technology  Standard  Addressed:      Creative  Communicator  6b:  create  original  works  or  responsibly  
repurpose  or  remix  digital  resources  into  new  creations.  
 
Selected  Technology  Tool:        
☒    Movie  (list  application):        iMovie  
☐    Audio  (list  application):      
☐    Other:  (list)  
 

URL(s)  to  support  the  lesson  (if  applicable):        

 
Bloom’s  Taxonomy  Level(s):        
 

☐  Remembering            ☒  Understanding            ☒  Applying              ☐  Analyzing                ☐  Evaluating              ☒  Creating  

 
Levels  of  Technology  Integration  (LoTi  Level):  
 

☐    Level  1:  Awareness                ☐    Level  2:  Exploration          ☐    Level  3:  Infusion            ☒    Level  4:  Integration  
 

☐    Level  5:  Expansion                  ☐    Level  6:  Refinement            

 
Universal  Design  for  Learning  (UDL):    For  students  within  the  class  who  have  auditory  sensory  impairments,  
including  visual  components  and  images  in  the  technology  product  allows  those  students  to  engage  and  
participate  in  the  activity.  For  students  within  the  class  who  have  visual  sensory  impairments,  including  audio  
elements  and  narrations  in  the  technology  product  allows  those  students  to  engage  and  participate  in  the  
activity.  To  support  the  learning  experience  for  all  individuals,  students  with  Mild  Intellectual  Disabilities  may  
be  assigned  a  partner  to  work  with  when  creating  the  video  products.    
Engagement:  The  assignment  requires  engagement  and  active  participation  from  all  students,  including  those  
who  are  assigned  to  work  with  others.  The  activity  is  student-­‐paced,  allowing  each  student  to  work  at  his/her  
own  pace.    
Representation:  Content  is  presented  using  various  forms  of  multimedia  (written  text,  audio  files,  images,  
video  clips,  narrations)  and  key  information  regarding  the  text  is  highlighted  and  addressed.    
Action  and  Expression:  The  assignment  requires  students  to  demonstrate  and  express  what  they  have  
learned  after  reading  the  text,  take  action  in  creating  their  own  video  files,  and  move  to  a  higher  Bloom’s  
level  of  creating  useful  technology  products.    
 
Lesson  idea  implementation:  After  reading  Wilson  Rawl’s  novel  Where  the  Red  Fern  Grows,  students  will  
create  video  products  that  the  teacher  will  use  to  assess  the  students’  knowledge  and  comprehension  of  the  
text.  To  introduce  the  project,  the  teacher  will  present  his/her  own  video  file  to  the  class  as  an  example  of  the  
products  that  they  will  create  themselves  and  go  over  the  rubric  during  class  so  that  students  understand  the  
requirements  for  this  assignment.  Then,  the  students  will  use  the  teacher’s  video  as  a  guide  while  they  begin  
creating  their  own  videos  about  the  novel.  During  this  time,  students  will  be  given  one  week  (five  class  
periods)  to  create  and  complete  their  videos  while  the  teacher  acts  as  co-­‐learner  and  answers  any  questions  
the  students  may  have.  After  completing  and  posting  their  videos  to  the  class  website/blog,  the  teacher  will  

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use  the  rubric  to  assess  students  on  their  knowledge  and  understanding  of  the  text.  To  conclude  the  lesson,  
the  teacher  will  then  return  the  graded  rubrics  and  attached  comments/feedback  to  each  individual  student.    
 
The  students’  final  video  products  will  be  used  to  inform  other  students  who  may  be  missing  key  parts  of  
information  regarding  the  text.  One  person  may  have  a  different  interpretation  of  something  from  another  
student,  so  having  numerous  video  files  that  summarize  and  highlight  different  parts  of  the  text  may  be  useful  
in  helping  students  better  understand  the  text  as  a  whole  and  fill  in  any  gaps  of  missing  information  or  
confusion  that  they  may  have.  The  products  will  also  be  used  to  differentiate  learning  by  providing  a  variety  
of  narrations,  images,  and  video  clips  to  all  students.  I  will  extend  the  student  learning  to  a  higher  learning  
level  by  having  the  students  collaborate  and  share  their  videos  with  their  peers  before  submitting  them  for  a  
final  grade.  In  this  way,  students  will  receive  feedback  from  their  classmates  as  they  work  in  addition  to  
receiving  feedback  from  the  teacher’s  comments  that  are  attached  to  the  graded  rubrics  after  the  
assignments  have  been  submitted.    
 
Importance  of  technology:  Using  a  multimedia  authoring  tool  is  critical  to  the  project  because  without  the  
use  of  iMovie,  the  project  would  not  exist.  In  other  words,  the  project  could  not  be  completed  without  this  
technology  because  the  entire  assignment  is  centered  around  the  creation  of  videos  using  iMovie.  Without  
using  iMovie,  the  combination  of  both  visual  and  auditory  components  would  be  lost.  Other  types  of  
technology  that  are  used  in  this  learning  experience  include  the  Internet  and  search  engines  to  locate  images  
and  video  clips,  as  well  as  microphones  to  record  voiceover  narrations.    
 
Inspiration  (optional):      
 
Internet  Safety  and  Student  Privacy:  One  possible  issue  surrounding  Internet  safety  and  student  privacy  that  
could  arise  while  implementing  this  learning  experience  is  the  inclusion  of  students’  names  on  the  title  and  
credits  pages.  To  minimize  risks  to  students,  I  would  ask  that  my  students  use  only  their  first  names  for  the  
title  and  credits  pages  (no  last  names  or  initials).  In  addition,  I  would  send  out  an  email  to  all  parents  and  
administrators  before  assigning  the  project  so  that  they  understand  the  plans  and  purpose  of  the  assignment,  
may  view  the  teacher’s  example  of  the  type  of  video  file  that  students  will  be  creating,  and  have  the  
opportunity  to  voice  any  fears  and/or  concerns.    
 
Reflective  Practice:  The  activities  created  could  impact  student  learning  by  providing  students  with  a  creative,  
alternative  form  of  assessment  in  which  they  are  given  the  independence  to  create  their  own  videos  and  
assume  adult/professional  roles  in  the  classroom.  In  doing  so,  students  are  given  the  freedom  to  show  what  
they  have  learned  and  create  something  unique  rather  than  being  given  a  quiz  or  test  with  correct  and  
incorrect  answers.  With  permission  and  consent  from  parents/guardians,  the  teacher  may  further  extend  the  
lesson  by  distributing  the  students’  final  products  to  other  students,  parents,  and  administrators  at  the  
school.  In  addition,  other  technology  tools  that  could  further  enhance  this  project  are  the  use  of  iTunes  and  
Audacity  when  students  are  locating  music,  creating  narrations/voiceovers,  and/or  using  other  audio  
components  to  enhance  their  videos.    
 
             

Spring  2018_SJB